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| Blueberry shaped throw pillow |
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| Designer Amy Brown of Jumbo Jibbles pictured with her first two creations |
Who are you and what do you do?
I am Amy Brown, owner and creator of Jumbo Jibbles. I make the opposite of stuffed animals--stuffed vegetables! And fruits, too. Sewing is another kinds of architecture and I love figuring out how to build the complex shapes that come from nature. I work mostly in fabric, but also have a side project making science- and astronomy-themed jewelry.
How did you get started making those amazing fabric sculptures?
A friend needed a giant vegetable prop for a photo booth and the idea of the opposite of a stuffed animal really appealed to me. I'd only sewn tote bags and pillows, so it was a big leap architecturally. After the first two (pictured above), I had a taste for making shapes, but also love seeing people's reactions to them.
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| Hand painted planet beads for Sky & Light jewelry |
Bright, but not grating, silly but touching. At least that's how I see it. I like to make big things small and small things big!
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| A strange request: a hand puppet shaped like a mushroom cloud from an explosion. Photograph by Sheldon Edward Steele. |
Aside from the mushroom pictured, a durian! If you've never seen or tasted one it is a very heavy spiked fruit that some people say smells like rotten onions, but others call the "King of Fruits." Unfortunately, I have not figured out yet how to make all the spikes!
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| Sketches for a giant sandwich from the mind of Amy Brown |
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| Stuffed cauliflower by Amy Brown |
My newest and favorite piece is a cauliflower pillow. I started out mostly working in fleece and a lucky vintage find helped me branch out into new textures. I found some white "tufted chenille", also known as candlewicking, perfect for a stylized cauliflower head. Did you know the white part is called a "inflorescence meristem"? This fabric also drew me into reading about the history of textiles. I recommend checking out the story of Catherine Evans Whitener.
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| Comedian and podcast host Cameron Esposito in the middle with Amy Brown and her husband Justin, unicorn horn headbands, her top-selling product. |
My favorite podcasts are Wham Bam Pow! with Cameron Esposito, The Moth, Bullseye and Radiolab. If I feel like bopping my head to something, Built to Spill, Electric Light Orchestra or the Yeah Yeah Yeahs always make me happy.
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| Sea urchin baby toy |
DIY craft kits are on the horizon, make your own unicorn horns or reconstructed tangerine peel toys. Also, make everything bigger! I'm going to supersize my sea urchin baby toys and design some potted plants a la Little Shop of Horrors, but with no teeth. My dream all along was to make really big things, so this year I am trying to take more chances and not be afraid to make a mess!
Well said, Amy! If you would like to see more of Amy's work, check her out online:
Website: Jumbo Jibbles
Instagram:@jumbojibbles
Jumbo Jibbles shop: Jumbo Jibbles on Etsy
Sky & Light Jewelry shop: Sky & Light on Etsy
